Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

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Ohio State 56, Ball State 3: What We Learned From A Blowout Win Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

The Ohio State Buckeyes opened up their 2026 season with a 56-3 win over overmatched Ball State, and while the game itself wasn't particularly dramatic, there were still several major takeaways about what it could mean for Ryan Day's team.
In this special postgame episode of the Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning podcast, Tony Gerdeman of BuckeyeInsiders.com joins host Tom Orr to discuss three things they learned during the game, including:

The Ohio State offensive line struggled at times against an unimpressive Ball State defense. How big of a concern is that?
The running back room delivered (eventually) on the promised big plays
The true freshman class made a surprisingly big contribution, including several players who are going to play meaningful snaps at Texas next week.

Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

BONUS: Time and Change - The Most Impactful Transfers In Ohio State History Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

The transfer portal has completely changed college football, but transfers have been impacting Ohio State football for much longer than you might think.
On this episode of The Time and Change Will Surely Show, Tony Gerdeman and Juck Miletti look at the past, present, and future of Ohio State transfers.
Tony unveils his ranking of the 10 most impactful transfers in Buckeye history, including Justin Fields, Will Howard, Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, Davison Igbinosun, Julian Sayin and more. But who deserves the No. 1 spot? Is it Downs, or should the quarterback who led Ohio State to a national championship get the nod?
Then Tony and Juck turn their attention to Ohio State's newest group of transfers. Could James Smith become a star on the defensive line? Is Devin McEwen capable of becoming one of the Buckeyes' next great receivers? What should we expect from Earl Little, Christian Alliegro, Beau Atkinson and the rest of the newcomers?
Finally, they look ahead to the next transfer cycle. If Julian Sayin heads to the NFL, will Ohio State have to find another starting quarterback in the portal? And with major decisions looming along the offensive line, could the Buckeyes once again be shopping for veteran help up front?
00:00 — Welcome to Time and Change
01:02 — Tony's Top 10 most impactful Ohio State transfers
02:34 — Josh Simmons, Seth McLaughlin and Jonah Jackson
03:34 — Where does Julian Sayin belong?
04:39 — Tony reveals his Top 5
05:44 — Caleb Downs vs. Will Howard for No. 1
07:57 — Why Will Howard has an argument for the top spot
09:52 — Where does Justin Fields rank?
10:14 — Fields and the history of Ohio State transfers
12:15 — What would Sayin need to do to reach No. 1?
14:35 — Which 2026 transfers could eventually crack the Top 10?
15:15 — Why James Smith could become a star
17:49 — Does Ohio State need a star at defensive tackle?
20:28 — Earl Little's changing role in the Buckeye defense
22:48 — Is Devin McEwen a potential first-round talent?
26:01 — Qua Russaw's specialized role as a pass rusher
28:11 — What should Ohio State expect from Christian Alliegro?
29:32 — Could Devin McCuin become OSU's best transfer WR ever?
30:18 — Don't forget about Beau Atkinson
33:27 — Looking ahead: Will Ohio State need a transfer QB in 2027?
36:00 — The timing problem with Sayin's NFL decision
37:44 — Ryan Day's complicated history recruiting quarterbacks
39:05 — How the Tavien St. Clair conversation has changed
40:42 — Why OSU may need a proven starting quarterback
42:47 — The changing reality of quarterback development
44:00 — Could Ohio State need transfer offensive linemen next year?
45:33 — Would three new starters on the interior be too much?
47:07 — Final thoughts and the all-time transfer debate
Who is the most impactful transfer in Ohio State history? Caleb Downs? Will Howard? Justin Fields? Someone else entirely? Drop your Top 5 in the comments.
For more Ohio State football coverage, recruiting discussion, analysis, and insider conversation, check out BuckeyeInsiders.com.
The Time and Change Will Surely Show
Hosted by Tony Gerdeman and Juck Miletti

Ross Fulton Analysis: 3 Things To Watch, 3 Concerns For Ohio State's Defense Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode of the Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning podcast, Ross Fulton, one of the Scheme Insiders from BuckeyeInsiders.com, joins host Tom Orr to discuss three things he's expecting to see from the Ohio State defense, as well as three areas of concern. Here's what he's expecting from Matt Patricia and the Ohio State Defense:
More Situational Packages: No, this is not a prediction that Patricia will rotate more solely for rotation’s sake. I expect guys like Payton Pierce, Jaylen McClain, and Earl Little to be on the field for nearly every snap that matters. But I do expect Patricia to deploy more situational packages than he did in 2025. Last year, Patricia effectively used three packages—nickel against 11 personnel, 4-3 against 12 personnel, and a dime package (which was a 3-2-6) on certain third and longs. This year, while those three looks will remain the mainstays, look for Patricia to add several more packages. In particular, I expect Patricia will use a 3-3-5 look on certain passing downs, using a linebacker (likely Christian Alliegro or Riley Pettijohn) as an edge rusher, and a “big nickel” package, with more of a hybrid linebacker/safety type (think Simeon Caldwell) at that spot.
More Creepers and Simulated Pressures: In line with the above concept of aiding the defensive line in creating pressure, I expect Patricia to use a higher percentage of creepers and/or simulated pressures, where the defense rushes four defenders, but one of those four is a back seven defender, while a defensive lineman drops into underneath coverage. Such pressures force the offense to block rushers from different spots—while still allowing Ohio State to play its base cover 2 and cover 3 zones behind. The Buckeyes also have the benefit of having a defensive end like Qua Russaw who is more comfortable dropping into the curl/flat in space on such looks.
More Penny Front: Finally, consistent with the trend across college football, I expect Patricia to use even more of a 5-1 Penny front this year. Such a look fits with Ohio State’s current personnel and takes advantage of the Buckeyes’ versatility—while minimizing the Buckeyes’ reliance on the defensive end spot opposite Kenyatta Jackson. Specifically, Alliegro can play the role Arvell Reese did last year of a standup outside linebacker. And Ohio State’s personnel provides Patricia options within the Penny front. Patricia can go to a heavier Penny look—using Eddrick Houston and James Smith as the two defensive tackles flanking the nose guard—or he can bump Jackson inside like he did last year and use Qua Russaw as the other stand-up outside linebacker.
Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

BONUS: How Is Jay Timmons Able To Be A Day One Starter At Nickel? Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

There have been few training camp stories more remarkable this season than the emergence of true freshman CB Jay Timmons as the clear-cut, no-doubt day-one starter at the nickel position for Ohio State this fall.
Timmons' father played in the NFL, and he was a 5-star prospect coming out of high school, but it's still very surprising to see a true freshman take hold of a starting job right out of the gate in fall camp, and never let it go. So how was he able to do that?
In this special bonus episode, you'll hear the answer to that and much more directly from another guy who knows a thing or two about playing early as a cornerback at Ohio State; sophomore standout Devin Sanchez.

BONUS: 3 Veterans Could Dominate In The Interior Of Ohio State's O-Line Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

The Ohio State offensive line returns four starters in 2026, including three players on the interior who played crucial roles in the Buckeyes' run to the 2024 national championship. So what do Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, and Austin Siereveld bring to this year's offensive line?
In this special bonus episode, you'll hear directly from Montgomery about his view of the veteran core of the offensive line, why this year's offense should be fun to play in, what he's expecting from freshman RB phenom Legend Bey, and much more.

Ross Fulton Analysis: 3 Things To Watch, 3 Concerns For Ohio State's Offense Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode of the Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning podcast, Ross Fulton, one of the Scheme Insiders from BuckeyeInsiders.com, joins host Tom Orr to discuss three things he's expecting to see from the Ohio State offense, as well as three areas of concern. Here's what he's expecting:
More Making Plays Look Alike: To paraphrase the late great football coach Homer Smith, a key to offensive football is making plays look alike. If a defense can tell one play from another, they can play fast. If all your plays look alike, they have to play slow. To that end, I expect that Arthur Smith will do a better job layering plays together compared to the Ohio State offense last season. The run game will be based off a few core concepts—particularly outside zone and duo—and may use fewer concepts than last season. But Smith will build more play action and bootleg concepts off of those run plays. This should allow Ohio State’s offense to be more explosive, as an effective run game with play action can force teams out of using cone coverage against Jeremiah Smith and open holes behind linebackers.
More Under Center: To accomplish point 1 above, I expect more under center from Ohio State. In addition to providing the offense the ability to run the same play in either direction, under center aids play action in that the quarterback turns his back to the defense and the fake can be more drawn out. In addition, while Julian Sayin is not a real run threat on designed quarterback runs or run reads—lessening the value of shotgun to the offense—he is mobile enough and throws well on the run such that he is effective off bootleg action. Notably, Sayin was effective off bootlegs in the second half last year against Indiana, as teams were often overplaying the run action. While I certainly do not expect the shotgun to go away—it remains effective for run-pass-options—I do believe that under-center will be a more heavily featured part of the offense.
More Quick Game: I likewise think that Smith will take advantage of Sayin’s skill-set by using more underneath quick game concepts such as slants, hitches, and quick outs. Such an emphasis would be consistent with Ryan Day’s focus on putting receivers in a position where they can gain yards after the catch.
Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

BONUS: Legend Bey Ready To Go At Kick Returner Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

We got our final chance to talk to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day on Wednesday evening following practice, and there were some interesting takeaways, including:

Which players will get a chance to return punts on Saturday, and who will be the kick returner?
How he thinks they can find a balance between playing true freshmen, and understanding that may mean dealing with some youthful mistakes.
Who is going to start on the defensive line
And more

BONUS: “Our Standard Is Being The Best Of All Time” Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

In this bonus episode, you'll get to hear directly from Ohio State center Carson Hinzman, who will be starting for the Buckeyes for the fourth season in a row. In addition to being one of only three fifth-year players who have spent their entire careers as Buckeyes, Hinzman is also one of the most entertaining interviews on this year's team.
He discusses his expectations for this year's offensive line, what it would mean to win the Joe Moore Award, what he's seen from the team's running backs, the growth of Julian Sayin, and much more.

Ohio State Football Insider: The New Rule That Could Benefit The Buckeyes In 2026 Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

There is a new rule in college football that could benefit the Ohio State Buckeyes in a big moment - and there are indications that Ryan Day's program could be preparing to take advantage of it in a crucial game.
In this episode of the Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning podcast, Tony Gerdeman of BuckeyeInsiders.com joins host Tom Orr to discuss college football's new fair catch kick rule, and how a new transfer kicker could help Ohio State capitalize on the change.
Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

BONUS: Ryan Day Weighs In On Linebackers, Defensive Tackles Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

There are a number of questions about the 2026 Ohio State defense that will at least start getting answered on Saturday when the Buckeyes kick off the season against Ball State, but earlier this week, OSU head coach Ryan Day shared his thoughts on a few of those areas.
In this special bonus episode, you'll hear Day's thoughts on the linebacker room, the defensive tackles, and more.

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